Pieces of Me

Being that I was the only child with a hearing loss in an all hearing school district in the late 80's (to my knowledge),  I cannot tell you it was all sunshine and smiles. I overcame a lot of hurdles growing up in the "hearing world" and I will tell you it wasn't a very easy course.  As I have previously wrote in my article and my blogs, I did not have the best memories of elementary school.  It was hard to fit in.  I got picked on for my speech, made fun of because I couldn't hear certain things, I have had my spelling tests ripped from my hands and waved around in front of the whole class and laughed at.  I honestly felt like the outcast, the misfit.  Of course my spelling tests were horrible. At times, I ate lunch alone for a big chunk of the time throughout my elementary to high school years.  Only a few times I was able to sit with a group of my classmates, but I could never connect with them or understand what was going on so it was just e

Yesterday, I went to my audiologist to get my new earmold for my left hearing aid.  We spoke about how people who have hearing aids complain of having a hearing aid.  It got me thinking about the sigma attached to hearing loss and the misconceptions of hearing aids. While many are becoming new to hearing loss, it is a complete different world to live in and to deal with.  Some have to find alternative ways to cope with their new-found hearing lost, while others may struggle with accepting the fact that they may have a hearing loss themselves.  To ease worried minds, do not be afraid to get your hearing tested when you sense you are not hearing as well as you should.  The sooner you get your hearing tested, the quality of life can improve. The quality of life is greatly affected by hearing loss creating a sense of isolation, insecurity, anxiety, depression, and strained relationships.  Many have spoken out about this and how it affected them overall.  Since I grew up hard of hearing